Dictionary of the Top Ten Terms in Blogs

People who are interested in creating blogs for themselves often have trouble reading self

heal articles because they do not understand the terminology. Failing to understand what

basic terms mean can create an unnecessarily large workload. Following are a brief

explanation of the top ten blog terms, designed to aid the beginner in gaining a basic

understanding.

1. Blogs Ð Believe it or not, there are actually people out there who do not know

what a blog is. So, we placed this word at the top of the list of important terms.

The word "blog" is actually short for "web log." Basically, a blog is an online

journal that is created and maintained by individuals. Although it is defined as a

journal, it does not mean it is a place for one to bear his soul for the world.

Instead it is often used a place for people to share information on a topic they are

interested in and offer advice to others. Some bloggers are even able to use a blog

to make money.

2. Pinging Ð This is a very important tool for those who want to help their blog be

noticed by as many people as possible. Many sites provide this service at no cost

and will notify search engines each time a blog is updated. This will help your

blog rank higher on the list of popular sites, thus making it more easily located by

readers.

3. Linking Ð Many who write blogs place links throughout their content. These links

will direct readers to other sites that provide additional information on the blog

topic and also help to show the reliability of the blogger. Providing readers with

additional information will actually help improve readership instead of send it

elsewhere.

4. Posts Ð Posts are simply new entries made into your blog. Every time you update,

you make a new post.

5. Template Ð This refers to the setup of the blog site itself. Most new blogs come

with a standard template, but you will want to try and make it as unique and

aesthetically pleasing as possible. Expressing your individuality through the

template will help make your blog more memorable.

6. Blog host Ð To begin a blog, you have to sign up with a blog host. These are sites

such as Blogger or MySpace. Generally a blog host is a large site that offers

blogs to any number of subscribers. Many offer this for free, so be wary of a

group that requires payment for the service.

7. Blog directory Ð A blog directory is an online database that categorizes various

blogs found on the internet. You will want to make sure your blog is added to a

directory to help spread the word about your blog.

8. Niche Ð Articles often advise people to find their niche and start a blog on that

topic. A niche is the purpose of your blog. It refers to what your blog is about.

Will you choose to create a serious blog about politics or religion? Or will you

offer a more laidback blog that focuses on music or movie stars? What you

decide will determine your niche.

9. RSS feed Ð An RSS feed is code that can be created with your blog that allows

your readers to subscribe to it. Readers will not have to check your blog on a

regular basis to see if you have made an update but will automatically be

informed each time you make a change.

10. Trackback links Ð Trackback links provide notification to other bloggers anytime

you refer to their blog in a post. It will also include a link to your site from theirs.

For those just starting out, these terms should help to make many advice articles easier to

understand. If you continue to find terminology with which you are unfamiliar, research

it carefully before making additional decisions regarding your job. Remember, education

is power!